Cesare

-il CesareSole Absolute Triple
Exalted High Tastemaster Supreme
“In the entire world there are only a few sounds that bring joy to all but the most jaded. One is the murmur of a kitten purring. Another is the thwack of a well-pitched baseball hitting a perfectly swung bat. And the third is the pop of a cork being pulled from a bottle of wine.” —George Taber

editorkid

Assuming you've already got the stockpot, here's how to do it for nothin'. You don't need bread flour; AP is fine. You don't need fancy salts (although the 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt in the recipe is a bit too scant; try 1 3/4 or so). There's a tiny amount of yeast to get it started, but the whole point of the recipe is that your dough gathers wild yeasts right out of the air. And if you search Google for bittmann no-knead bread variations, you'll get plenty of info about whole-wheat, rye, the works. It's a remarkably forgiving and adaptable recipe and, as Bittmann stresses repeatedly, you're missing the point if you even try to make two loaves come out the same.

ThunderThighs

Assuming you've already got the stockpot, here's how to do it for nothin'. You don't need bread flour; AP is fine. You don't need fancy salts (although the 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt in the recipe is a bit too scant; try 1 3/4 or so). There's a tiny amount of yeast to get it started, but the whole point of the recipe is that your dough gathers wild yeasts right out of the air. And if you search Google for bittmann no-knead bread variations, you'll get plenty of info about whole-wheat, rye, the works. It's a remarkably forgiving and adaptable recipe and, as Bittmann stresses repeatedly, you're missing the point if you even try to make two loaves come out the same.

tiger7610

I recently acquired this kit, as a way to branch out into real bread making instead of just using a bread machine. The kit's instructions are very very easy to use. They also come with fairly detailed illustrations , and explanations for different stages of bread making. The pot is kind of handy for making bread instead of using pans. The ingredients are cool especially the different types of salt. Is the kit worth it? I dont know, the pot may be worth the price, and you do get enough basic ingredients for 3 loaves. The instructions are cool to have. I think this would be an interesting gift to give to someone who is looking to get started into breadmaking instead of buying him a fancy breadmachine. You do not need a mixer to make dough, as long as you are willing to actually use your hands. Overall I think its a nice starter kit, and you do get a versatile pot out of it.

michaelvella

Assuming you've already got the stockpot, here's how to do it for nothin'. You don't need bread flour; AP is fine. You don't need fancy salts (although the 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt in the recipe is a bit too scant; try 1 3/4 or so). There's a tiny amount of yeast to get it started, but the whole point of the recipe is that your dough gathers wild yeasts right out of the air. And if you search Google for bittmann no-knead bread variations, you'll get plenty of info about whole-wheat, rye, the works. It's a remarkably forgiving and adaptable recipe and, as Bittmann stresses repeatedly, you're missing the point if you even try to make two loaves come out the same.

Yea, the no knead bread and pizza doughs are awesome.
I make one of them like once a week. Mostly I've been doing pizza -
500 grams AP
1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/2 C water
1 /12 tsp salt
24 hour first rise, 2 hour second before forming into pizza.
Also, I'll roll into tubes and make a loaf.
Often I'll refrigerate half the dough after the first rise/punch down for several days before using it again. Nice flavor.

dulcetdarling

Assuming you've already got the stockpot, here's how to do it for nothin'. You don't need bread flour; AP is fine. You don't need fancy salts (although the 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt in the recipe is a bit too scant; try 1 3/4 or so). There's a tiny amount of yeast to get it started, but the whole point of the recipe is that your dough gathers wild yeasts right out of the air. And if you search Google for bittmann no-knead bread variations, you'll get plenty of info about whole-wheat, rye, the works. It's a remarkably forgiving and adaptable recipe and, as Bittmann stresses repeatedly, you're missing the point if you even try to make two loaves come out the same.

drfranco

Agree that $50 for a pot, some flour, and bread recipes is really ridiculous. However, disagree with above posts that AP flour is just as good as bread flour. That's likely true with mediocre AP and Bread flour, but if you use high quality bread flour (e.g., King Arthur and flour from better mills), the difference in rise and crust due to the increased protein is more than noticeable.

llrpurch

I make no knead bread all the time. Not too sure I'd trust the process to a pot that looks like it should be steaming tamales.

Cast iron makes killer no knead bread. Ditto clay bakers (Romertopf or Le Cloche are awesome). MUST have a lid that fits and be heavy/durable enough to handle the extreme high temps needed to bake it right.

And yeah, while you CAN use regular flour, I add a 1/2 tsp of vital wheat gluten when I have to use it. Using true good quality bread flour really does make a HUGE difference in the crust as well as crumb.

conanthelibrarian

billyg251

I think you just want somebody else to spend 50 bucks for a pot and some flour.

tiger7610 wrote:I recently acquired this kit, as a way to branch out into real bread making instead of just using a bread machine. The kit's instructions are very very easy to use. They also come with fairly detailed illustrations , and explanations for different stages of bread making. The pot is kind of handy for making bread instead of using pans. The ingredients are cool especially the different types of salt. Is the kit worth it? I dont know, the pot may be worth the price, and you do get enough basic ingredients for 3 loaves. The instructions are cool to have. I think this would be an interesting gift to give to someone who is looking to get started into breadmaking instead of buying him a fancy breadmachine. You do not need a mixer to make dough, as long as you are willing to actually use your hands. Overall I think its a nice starter kit, and you do get a versatile pot out of it.

broderya

Agree that $50 bucks for bread is insane because the ingredients are pennies and this "recipe" is all about the 24 hour mix and wait. A good enameled cast iron 5-6 quart Dutch oven will run you about the same cost but arguably has superior cooking utility versus steel. Pass!!!!!

blueraccoon

Honestly, this looks good to me. I don't have a cast iron dutch oven or covered pot to bake in, I don't know the first thing about baking bread, and it's worth having everything in one package so I can figure out what I'm doing. $50 is a bit high for my budget this month but I'm still tempted. Getting everything together like this means I'm much more likely to *use* it as opposed to buying a pot, flour, salt, yeast, etc. separately at separate times and letting it all sit in my pantry until I forget about it.

jaxyakker

blueraccoon wrote:Honestly, this looks good to me. I don't have a cast iron dutch oven or covered pot to bake in, I don't know the first thing about baking bread, and it's worth having everything in one package so I can figure out what I'm doing. $50 is a bit high for my budget this month but I'm still tempted. Getting everything together like this means I'm much more likely to *use* it as opposed to buying a pot, flour, salt, yeast, etc. separately at separate times and letting it all sit in my pantry until I forget about it.

bigray57

Here is the recipe from America's Test Kitchen a cooking show on PBS. You make it in a sturdy dutch oven, I have made it with EXCELLENT results: http://blog.ctnews.com/lunchbreak/2009/09/12/americas-test-kitchens-take-on-no-knead-bread/

river0040

What intrigued me about this kit was the idea of mixing the dough and letting it rise for 24 hours. Did a quick Google search and came upon this article -- originally from the New York Times -- with all the instructions, etc. BTW, that article is among the most frequently emailed ones because it is so simple and the bread is so delicious. Here's the link: http://www.aresrocket.com/bread/

craigthom

blueraccoon wrote:Honestly, this looks good to me. I don't have a cast iron dutch oven or covered pot to bake in, I don't know the first thing about baking bread, and it's worth having everything in one package so I can figure out what I'm doing. $50 is a bit high for my budget this month but I'm still tempted. Getting everything together like this means I'm much more likely to *use* it as opposed to buying a pot, flour, salt, yeast, etc. separately at separate times and letting it all sit in my pantry until I forget about it.

Just my $0.02...

If you want to learn about baking bread just google some instructions and buy five bucks worth of ingredients. You can make several loaves with give pounds of flour, and you can feed your mistakes to the ducks.

InFrom

blueraccoon wrote:Honestly, this looks good to me. I don't have a cast iron dutch oven or covered pot to bake in, I don't know the first thing about baking bread, and it's worth having everything in one package so I can figure out what I'm doing. $50 is a bit high for my budget this month but I'm still tempted. Getting everything together like this means I'm much more likely to *use* it as opposed to buying a pot, flour, salt, yeast, etc. separately at separate times and letting it all sit in my pantry until I forget about it.

Just my $0.02...

If you're saying that you're more likely to do it if you get everything as an impulse purchase -- yeah, I can see that. I would say, as the others have, that you'll do better spending your dough (ha! I crack myself up) on a decent cast-iron pot, which will is not only durable but also versatile for other uses. You can go on a spree in Target (or even Woot) for a nice, heavy enameled one, or pick an unglazed one up second-hand. (Spoken by a person whose small kitchen is overrun by large pots these days.) And the other ingredients are easily dealt with in a quick trip to a typical supermarket. (You might already own salt and/or flour, making for a really short shopping list.) You can get more specialized ingredients if you really get into it, but as others have said, you will get satisfying results from standard yeast and flour.

Sorry, TT, I want WD to live long and prosper as much as the next person, but I'm on the side of the skeptics on this one. And who the heck gets into bread-baking just as the weather's getting warm, anyway? For me, that nesting instinct kicks in as the days grow shorter.

catherinemcclarey

tiger7610 wrote:I recently acquired this kit, as a way to branch out into real bread making instead of just using a bread machine. The kit's instructions are very very easy to use. They also come with fairly detailed illustrations , and explanations for different stages of bread making. The pot is kind of handy for making bread instead of using pans. The ingredients are cool especially the different types of salt. Is the kit worth it? I dont know, the pot may be worth the price, and you do get enough basic ingredients for 3 loaves. The instructions are cool to have. I think this would be an interesting gift to give to someone who is looking to get started into breadmaking instead of buying him a fancy breadmachine. You do not need a mixer to make dough, as long as you are willing to actually use your hands. Overall I think its a nice starter kit, and you do get a versatile pot out of it.

Actually, I kind of agree -- IF one is looking at this as a starter kit for someone who hasn't done a lot of baking and isn't entirely sure yet about the whole "no-knead bread" thing. Editorkid's comment with a suggested recipe for those who already have a suitable pot also sounds good; however, having a "suitable pot" is key. Stockpots or Dutch ovens with glass lids will not work for this, nor will ones with knobs/handles which aren't oven-safe up to at least 450 degress F. (If the lid knob is the only issue, as it was with my Lodge Color dutch oven, a metal drawer knob from the hardware store makes a good replacement.)
AP vs. bread flour? Depends on the recipe. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day calls for unbleached all-purpose flour for their original Master Recipe; however my bread machine normally requires bread flour. My compromise is to buy a relatively high-gluten AP flour (such as Ceresota or King Arthur), which works for both, or to add a tablespoon or 2 of vital wheat gluten when using AP flour in the bread machine.

bhodilee

So, save three cents, or six bucks, depending on color and get a 6qt lodge color cast iron Dutch oven from amazon. Then follow one of the many recipes posted here. I'd like this deal for 35 bucks, not 50.

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it."

cf

Okay, I don't need the kit, either, but it isn't a bad idea, per se. The included pot will get nice and hot but, more importantly, it will hold in steam which is one of the key factors of the no-knead bread (or really, any good bread). I think the kit is a bit expensive but for someone who really likes getting all the bits at once or who prefers that new projects come with instructions, this would work fine.

tavkomet

"To bake artisan bread, the Cook's edition is probably the way to go. The idea behind it is that most everyone already has measuring cups, a mixing bowl, etc., so they don't need all those kitchenware’s."

The apostrophe in that last word is the most astonishing thing about this pricey Woot.

paxsarah

I used the Bittman recipe a few times before I picked up the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day books. If I were starting out in breadmaking, I'd spend my $50 on the book, a container for storing dough in the fridge, a pizza/bread stone, and still have plenty left over for fancy ingredients. The main difference with the AB in 5 minutes books are that you make a larger batch of dough that can be stored in the fridge for a week or two and you can use a bit at a time to make loaves, flatbreads, rolls, etc. as you need them through the week.

I do also like the pot method and I found a nice cheap dutch oven at Aldi recently that suits.

polarbear22

PB - your mission, and you have to accept it, is ... you know the drill.

My wife was excited by this kit. And given my schedule, she made the bread. The kit is complete. Great instructions with photos for someone new to making bread. Very simple.

"Joe" even explains that you can use any pot, but this simple pot is less expensive and makes great bread. But you can use another pot if you already have one. (The kit is available separate from the pot.)

The bread turned out great. We had the black salt on the top. Looked good and gave a nice salt flavor. The crust was crunchy and the bread nice and chewy. (She used the KitchenAid, as it was the first time to use the dough hook.)

Lots of comments above re. price. The instructions say several times that you don't need to buy the kits to make bread. This is just to get you started the first time. He even discussed bread flour vs. AP flour, yeast, etc. The goal of this kit really seems to be to get someone to start making bread, see how easy it is, and go off on their own.

This is a great way to get started making bread. Build some confidence, and then follow some of the posts above. So if you are new to breadmaking, or great gift for someone just starting to cook.

polarbear22

A return appearance during gift week on this would be great. If you already make bread, you don't need it. And if you don't, you probably are still not ready to buy it. But a great way to get someone else started. In other words, a great gift.

tiger7610

billyg251 wrote:I think you just want somebody else to spend 50 bucks for a pot and some flour.

I'm not on a commission here, obviously there are people who want it all bundled for 50 bucks. I do agree that price is a bit high, and I mostly use a breadmachine, but there are people out there who have the money and want the convenience

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